Fence



(No Model.)

W. C. LATHROP.

PENSE.

' Patented May 7 I UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM O. LATHROP, OF MILTON CENTRE, OHIO.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,678, dated May 7, 1889. Application filed October 20, 1888. Serial No. 288,632. (No model.)l

To all whom t 11o/ay concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. LATHROP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milton Centre, in the county of Vood and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to improvements in that class of fences known as rail fences, and it has for its object the construction of a fence whereby little or no selection in the material may be made as regards length of the rails, together with a view to economy in the general construction.

The novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of a portion of a fence constructed according to my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the dotted line :1; of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the posts with the lateral braces attached.

In carrying out my invention I first take posts of suitable height and place them in the ground, as shown at A. I then secure to opposite sides of such posts boards B. These boards B are firmly secured to the posts, at a point beneath the surface of the ground, by means of bolts or other suitable fastening devices, after which earth or like substance is filled in the interspaces a between the boards B, and also over the boards, embedding the latter in the earth, so as to form a broad and substantial bearing for the posts, and one which will not permit the latter being readily lifted out of the ground. I then take thin boards, F, and nail them to the rails, as shown, so that when a panel or section has been thus formed the whole may be lifted up and secured to the posts, as will be presently explained.

O indicates the rails, which may be of any suitable length, and care need not be taken to have the adjacent ends meet, nor have all the ends of each panel reach in the same vertical plane, as better shown in Fig. l of the drawings. These rails, together with the strips or boards F, are wired to the posts A by any suitable means, but preferably by carrying a wire around the rail at the top, thence around the post down the same to the next rail, and so on.

D indicates the top rail, which is secured to the posts and crosses the interval between each panel or section, as shown at b. When this top rail is not sufficiently long to cross the said interval and be secured to the adjacent posts, it should cross sufficiently for the attachment of the guard-rail, as will be presently explained. A

E indicates the bottom rails, which are also secured to the fence-posts, and are designed to cross an interspace in a manner similar to the top rail, but preferably on the opposite sides of the posts.

I have shown the bottom rails as having their adjacent ends slightly separated; but care should be taken when the rails stop in this manner to have one of them at leastcross the interspace.

G indicates a guard-rail, which is designed.

to partially ll the interspace between the adjacent ends of the panel-sections. This guardrail may be of a height equal to that of the fense, and is secured at opposite ends to the top and bottom rails of the fence by a wire loop, d, or otherwise.

By a fence of this construction it is obvious that little or no care may be taken in securing the rails to the post, as they need not be cut to any particular size, as the space formed by the failure ofthe ends of the rails to meet or approximately meet may be filled by the guard-rails F. Should the space be of any great capacity, two or more of these guard-rails may be employed; but it is preferable to construct the fence so that one will be sufficient.

While I have illustrated the lateral braceboards in connection with posts used on a fence of the character described, yet it is obvious that these boards may be employed to brace posts in a fence of any construction.

I am aware ofthe patent granted to A. W. Newton, March 22, 1887, in which two anchorplates with pointed ends and of a width equal IOO and a guard-rail, G, arranged between the adjacent ends of the fence-sections and se- I5 Cured at opposite ends to the top and bottom rails, so as to partly fill the nterspaee caused by the failure of the intermediate rails to meet, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in 2o presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM C. LATHROP.

W'itnesses:

L. A. LATHROP, E, G. LATHROP. 

